In a meeting with the visiting Iraqi Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Liwaa Sumaisem in Tehran on Sunday, Salehi said the two countries are linked by their enormous religious, cultural and historical commonalties. The Iranian minister hailed political relations between Tehran and Baghdad and called for the implementation of agreements previously signed between the two sides to further bolster ties in all fields including in economic, trade and tourism sectors. He urged Iranian and Iraqi officials to boost cooperation to provide facilities to the two countries’ pilgrims. The Iraqi minister, for his part, said Iranian and Iraqi officials are seriously determined to strengthen bilateral relations in all arenas. Sumaisem assessed as “good and constructive” his talks with Iranian officials and expressed readiness to increase cooperation with Iran to facilitate pilgrimage to the holy shrines by both Iranian and Iraqi people. Every year, many Iranian pilgrims travel to Iraq where the holy shrines of a number of Shia Imams and their descendants are located.